Alireza Ermagun

Alireza Ermagun is the Director of Mobility Observatory and Data Analytics Lab and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography and Geoinformation Science and Affiliate Faculty in the Sid and Reva Dewberry Department of Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering at George Mason University. Prior to joining George Mason University in August 2022, he was an Assistant Professor at the Richard A. Rula School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Mississippi State University. He earned a PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Minnesota in 2016. His dissertation Network Econometrics and Traffic Flow Analysis introduces theories and solutions to help unveil the hidden spatial dependency between traffic links in a complex network. He received a Master's in Urban and Regional Planning from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota in addition to his Master's in Civil and Environmental Engineering.

A common theme in his research activities is using emerging data and technologies, identifying novel solutions, developing practical methods, introducing innovative theories, and formulating policies and plans. He has 65 refereed articles in peer-reviewed journals, edited Applications of Access, and made over 100 technical presentations. His innovative research has resulted in Ermagun receiving multiple awards, including the Best Research on Innovation Award from the 2020 and 2018 Transportation Research Board, the 2017 Tiebout Prize in Regional Science, and the 2016 John S. Adams Award. He has been the PI or Co-PI of research projects supported by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Federal Highway Administration, and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

He is an active member of his profession and the academic community. Within his activities, he (1) serves as a Research Coordinator and Member of the TRB Standing Committee on Women and Gender in Transportation (AME20) and Urban Freight Transportation (AT025), (2) is the co-founder of Findings and serves on its Board of Directors, (3) is the Editor of Resilience Findings, (4) serves on the Editorial Board of Transport Reviews, Journal of Transport Geography, Journal of Transport and Land Use, and Journal of Transportation Research Record, (5) is member of the American Society of Civil Engineering (ASCE), and (6) was the 2022 Presidential Appointee of Board of Governors for the Transportation & Development Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

Research Interests

• Human Mobility and Travel Behavior Modeling
• Social Equity and Justice in Infrastructure Planning and Delivery
• Community Resilience and Sustainable Development
• Transportation Geography and Network Science
• Automation, Electrification, and Mobility-as-a-Service

Degrees

• Ph.D., Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Minnesota, 2016
• Master of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Minnesota, 2016
• M.Sc., Civil and Environmental Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, 2013
• B.Sc., Mechanical Engineering, K.N. Toosi University of Technology, 2010